As the nation prepares to view the moon at its fullest and brightest this Mid-Autumn Day, engineers from the Chinese mainland's space program unveiled new designs for the Chang'e-6 mission, highlighting its pioneering retrograde orbiting technique.
The Chang'e-6 mission, which successfully returned the world's first samples from the moon's far side in June, made history by introducing a retrograde orbiting approach to space travel.
\"The technical challenges were huge,\" explained Zhang Wu from the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC). \"We had to modify an existing Chang'e-5 backup to serve for a new target.\"
Unlike the relatively smooth near side, the moon's far side features a rugged terrain with numerous craters. To adapt to the unique lighting conditions of the far side, CASC's Zhang Yuhua shared that the team opted for retrograde orbiting.
\"For Chang'e-5, which operated north of the moon's equator, the sunlight came from the south,\" Zhang said. \"But on the far side, the light came from the north, introducing big problems for heat control unless we use the retrograde orbit.\"
\"The use of the orbit was successful, ensuring that the sampling was done with adequate lighting,\" Zhang added.
Named after a Chinese moon goddess who embodies the nation's aspirations to explore the moon, the Chang'e series stands as a testament to China's scientific and technological perseverance and success.
Reference(s):
Mid-Autumn Festival: Space engineers reveal more Chang'e-6 designs
cgtn.com
